July Favourites

Hey everyone!

As we are approaching the end of yet another month, it’s time for another edition of a monthly favourites! This month has brought me back to uni, had 18^th birthdays galore (two of my friends have birthdays in July and mine is coming up very soon), and a heck of a lot of (mandatory, but relatively enjoyable) reading. I’m doing a unit of Youth and Children’s writing at uni this semester and have to read nine books for it, all varying in length, age, and complexity. So far, I’ve read six of the nine in total. I borrowed them from the library a bit over a month ago, so they’re all due back very soon. Anyway, on with the favourites!

The first thing I have been loving this month is the reading I was talking about above. Of the six books, my favourites were The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, and Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner. The Book Thief, in brief, is a story about a girl living in Nazi Germany who falls in love with reading and steals books to read them at home. Her foster family takes in a Jew, letting him live in their basement. Not to spoil the ending or anything, but I cried for a good five minutes after finishing it.

How I Live Now is a story about war as well, but it appears to be set in recent past or near future. A girl is sent from her home in New York to live with her cousins in England. The family gets broken apart by the army, sending them to live in separate places as the army are using their house as a kind of base. It is predominantly a story of the girl and one of her cousins fighting to get back to the rest of their family, surviving in the wilderness and hiding from The Enemy, which is never referred to as anything other than that. It didn’t make me cry, but I did enjoy reading it.

Seven Little Australians is a story published in 1894 about seven Australian children living with their father and 20-year-old step mother in rural New South Wales in the 1800’s. Their names, in ascending order of age, are the General (the baby), Baby (4), Bunty (6), Nell (10), Judy (13) Pip (14), and Meg (16). They get up to a lot of hijinks in the book, including interrupting their parents entertaining guests, stealing food from the pantry, and hiding in the barn. Not quite the same kind of things Australian kids do nowadays, but I can definitely see why this story is called timeless and has transcended generations of children all over the world.

I haven’t really had any beauty favourites this month, but I have discovered new music that I love. I purchased Katy Perry’s Witness album about a month ago but got so distracted by reading that I didn’t have time to listen to it. It’s quite different to her previous albums, a bit less ‘poppy’ I feel, but I like it. My favourite songs off it are Bon Appetit, Hey Hey Hey, and Swish Swish. There are other songs I like from it but I like to keep it to a top 3.

Another album I’ve purchased recently was Hey Violet’s From the Outside. My friends introduced me to it a little while ago through the song Hoodie, which I loved. It’s got kind of a synth-rock feel to it, but again it is quite poppy. If you couldn’t tell, pop music is my fave. My top 3 songs of the album are Hoodie, Fuqboi, and Break My Heart. In fact, I’m listening to Hoodie right now!

That’s all of my favourites for this month. I hope you enjoyed!

What are your favourite things from the past month? Do you like mine?

Love, Nicky x

Birthday Wishes | Random

Hey lovelies!

Welcome to the final instalment of my birthday list! This week: random things that don’t have enough things to be put into their own category. Mostly they are electronics, but there are a couple of other things thrown in for good measure. My birthday is getting sooner and sooner every day and I could not be more excited. Mum and I started planning my party a few days ago and so far, we’ve worked out who to invite, but haven’t sent out any invitations yet. I also haven’t told my family what I would like for my birthday yet – ironic, I know, having told the internet and not my actual family.

The first “random” thing on my list is a pair of Frends headphones. Specifically, the white and rose gold ones, but I would be very happy with any of them! My eldest cousin has a pair of them and they are beautiful and very comfortable (I have tried them on a couple of times), and I would love to have a pair of my own. I am a huge rose gold fan – most of my uni supplies are rose gold, even down to my pens, and my phone is also rose gold – so rose gold seems to me to be the obvious choice. They’re just too pretty for their own good. And I simply have to have them.

The next thing in the “random” section of my list is a Clarisonic. For those not in the know, it is a really fancy brush to wash your face with. I know, of course, and I think they are very cool. My skin isn’t too bad right now (touch wood), but I feel like it’s a bit luxurious and if there is any time to get something luxe it’s a birthday, especially an 18^th one at that. They are, however, expensive as heck so I do not expect to get one at all, but it would be very nice if I did.

Next on my list is iTunes cards. I am really really really into music at the moment and am always in need of more iTunes credit, so not having to buy them myself would be great. I do think, however, that even if it is just a go-with type thing, it isn’t a very good present for an 18^th. As in, not much thought has gone into it, an ‘easy way out’ so to speak. However, I will be very grateful if I get some because I love music and the only way to get it is to pay for it, so really they’re getting me songs and albums, not a piece of plastic.

The last thing on not only my ‘random’ list is, of course, alcohol. I think that it is customary for a person turning 18 to get at least a little bit of alcohol for their birthday, as it is the drinking age in Australia. I’m not really sure what kind of alcohol I would like (not that I haven’t had any in the past), but I haven’t had it often enough to have any informed opinions about it. So far, I know that I like vodka cruisers (raspberry flavour, preferably), Midori, and that’s about it. My mum told me about a liqueur that tastes like birthday cake, so I kinda want that to see if its good. Also, it must be said that I have only consumed alcohol in safe environments and I have never gotten drunk. I don’t wanna go promoting underage drinking by any means!

That is my entire “random” things list, thus bringing an end to my birthday list saga. I do hope you enjoyed it and I’ll be back next week with a monthly favourites, probably. I’m going back to uni in the next week so posting is going to be harder to do (again) but I will persist. I am determined to not break my streak!

What do you think of my list? What kind of alcohol do you like most?

Love, Nicky x

Birthday Wishes | Books

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the third instalment in my Birthday Wishes series. This week is all about books! Even though I’ve been doing tons and tons of reading for uni in the past few weeks, there are still other books out there that I would like to read. Obviously, I don’t expect to get all of them for my birthday and, heck, I haven’t even finished reading the books I got for Christmas! I do have a massive break over Christmas time – from the end of November to the end of February – so I’ll get a ton of leisure reading done then. And I’ll probably find more books to want for Christmas this year as well!

The first book on my list is The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. I must say, the first thing I liked about this book was the cover. The deep blue and the bright gold are just so pretty, you know? This book is about a girl name Ava Lavender (shocking, I know) who is normal in every way except that she has bid wings. She goes on a quest to fit in and understand more about herself, and meets someone called Nathaniel Sorrows (very clever name considering the title). That’s all that the synopsis really says, but I really like the sound of this book. I am a massive Potterhead and so love everything fantasy related, so this seems like an obvious choice for me.

The next book on my list also has a feather on the front, weirdly, and also has blue and gold elements. It is called Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley. I guess I have a thing for those colours (there’s nothing wrong with liking something thought, right?). Anyway, this book is about a girl, named Aza Ray, with a strange lung disease that makes living very hard for her. One day she looks up into the sky and sees a ship, and can hear someone calling her name. Only her best friend believes her; everyone else says that it was probably a hallucination caused by her medication. Then somehow (it doesn’t say in the synopsis) she is transported up into the cloudy world full of trading ships: Magonia. She can breathe up there and has powers as well. Aza discovers that Magonia and Earth are on the brink of war and she must decide whether to save Earth or Magonia. This book sounds like an adventure from start to finish and it is safe to say that I would enjoy this one as well.

The third book on my birthday list is Carnivalesque by Neil Jordan. This book is also blue and gold. Dang, I didn’t realise all the books on my list looked the same. At least this one doesn’t also have a feather on the front. This story is about a boy called Andy, who goes to a mysterious carnival with his parents. For all money, it looked like a normal carnival, but it wasn’t at all. Andy went into the hall of mirrors and walked right into the mirror, becoming a reflection. Another boy, who isn’t Andy, went home with Andy’s parents. The reflection of Andy is pulled (literally) by a girl name Mona into a carnival world where anything could happen. Wow, Nicky, what a surprise. A fantasy book again, I would never have picked you liking them. This book sounds really cool. I think all the time that there is a world behind my mirror, and now I can read about it!

The last two books on my list are Incarnate by Jodi Meadows and the 20-year anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. As a proud Hufflepuff, I would like the yellow one, and I think you all probably know how that story goes (if you don’t, then you are missing out!). I had Incarnate on last year’s Christmas list so I won’t go over the synopsis again because I already have. I would really like both of these books and I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series and Incarnate sounds like a really good book.

That is my entire list of books that I would like for my birthday. I do hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for the final instalment of this series next week! Just between you and me, it’ll get a bit random.

Have you read any of the books on my list? Did you enjoy them?

Love, Nicky x

Birthday Wishes | Beauty

Hey lovelies!

Welcome to the second instalment of my birthday list, as my birthday is now less than a month away. This time I’ll show you the beauty related things I would like for my birthday. In case you’re new, I’m turning 18 on August 7. Unfortunately, I have uni that day and to top it all off it will be a Monday, but Mum said we’ll go out for dinner and get smashed. Just kidding, we’ll each have a wine or something with our dinner. I’m really excited for it, but as of yet, I haven’t started planning the party. I have loads of time, it’ll be fine! Anyway, on with the list!

The first beauty thing on my list is a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. The brush I use for foundation is falling apart a bit, so I feel that it is time for a replacement. I also have a blending sponge, but I find it a bit hard to use. I have heard great things about the Real Techniques brushes in general, but mostly this one in particular. The brush claims to be great for blending cream and liquid foundations, which is important. Also, I really like how it looks, aesthetically.

I did have foundation on my list, but I don’t know what shade I am and I don’t want people spending money on something I might not be able to use. Anyway, I have a BB Cream that works for me quite well. The thing on my list after that is a mascara, specifically the Tarte Lights Camera Splashes mascara. First off, I have watery eyes so waterproof is always a must. I have read that it doesn’t budge from anything, which is quite important with the Wateriest Eyes In The World™. Second, I have heard fantastic things about this mascara, which claims to lengthen, curl, volumise and condition the lashes. Even if it doesn’t achieve all those things, I think it will still be a good mascara. However, for the price-point of $29, I would expect it to do all the things it claims.

The final beauty related thing I have on my birthday list is a lipstick, MAC Faux in particular. I’ve trawled through tons and tons of websites looking for a shade that I would wear on a daily basis and I think this shade is that. I have heard many positive about the MAC lipsticks and Faux is said to be a ‘my lips but better’ kind of lipstick. It is quite expensive for a lipstick (around $36), but I think it’s worth it, especially for an 18^th!

And that brings my beauty wants to a close. There are still another two posts left in this series of birthday list, and next week I’m covering all things books, so keep your eyes peeled!

What do you want for your next birthday?

Love, Nicky x

Birthday Wishes | Fashion

Hey everyone!

As it is my birthday in a little over a month – August 7^th, to be exact – I thought I would share my birthday list with you. I am turning eighteen this year, which means I will officially be an adult! I am so looking forward to being asked for ID for the next ten years due to my height (note the sarcasm). I actually am really excited for my birthday, even though I do still have to organise some kind of party. I have separated my list into different sections including fashion, beauty, books and random. Today I will show you the fashiony things I would like for my birthday.

The first fashion thing I have on my list is wedge trainers. There are some really nice ones from Forever New that I really like. They are called Keisha Wedge Trainers and they come in both black and nude. I prefer the nude ones, personally. They are lace up shoes, also with a zip up the side and a buckle. On the buckle and down the side there are little studs. I don’t think I’m selling them very well, but I really like them. It goes without saying that it would make me a little bit taller, which would be quite nice.

It is a kind of tradition in my family to ‘go big’ on the milestone birthdays. When my mum turned 50, we got her some Swarovski earrings. Mum has said to me that she will do the same. We went into the Swarovski shop the other day to have a look around and see what I might like for my birthday. It was only a very short look, but I did like the smaller earrings with silver coloured metal and clear crystals (white?). I don’t know what they’re called, but I like them.

I would also really like some Ugg Boots. My feet get really cold in the winter and I don’t like that. My mum and dad both have Ugg Boots and I have tried on Mum’s on a few occasions and have loved them. I don’t know what else to say other than that I would like these for my birthday. I already have slippers, but they’re pretty crappy if I’m honest.

My final three fashion-related things are just clothes in general. The first is a nice top, or some nice tops, that I can wear to uni so I’m not wearing the same stripy top two times in one week. I would like some with different patterns. Maybe some floral, spotty, or unique in some way would be nice. The kind of top I don’t want is one with a graphic on it. Unless I support the band, TV show or movie on the top. I will not wear it for fear of being outed as ‘following trends despite knowing nothing about (insert band name here)’.

My next on the list of general clothing items is a jacket. Currently, I have one black button up cardigan with a missing button and a black zip-up polar fleece jacket that I bought for school camp three years ago. It is not stylish in any way, but if I want to be warm I will wear it. I would like a jacket that does have some essence of style. Maybe a denim one, maybe a leather one (let’s be real, it would be pleather), or maybe a cotton one. I saw a really nice one in Forever New a little while ago, but other than the fact that it was about $150, I reckon they don’t sell it anymore.

The final thing on my list is high-waisted jeans. I currently have high-waisted shorts that I bought for schoolies last year and I quite liked them. I do have jeans, but only one pair. If variety is the spice of life, then my wardrobe is flour. I would like to have a bit more variety so I’m not wearing the same jeans every day for a week without washing them in between, as I have been doing for quite a while. I don’t know if high-waisted is still a trend, but I don’t know if I care. I would like some high-waisted jeans because they would make me feel good about myself.

That is the end of this part of the list. I still have another three posts to go in this series of birthday list, so stay tuned, because next week we’re diving into the beauty pool of things I want.

What do you want for your next birthday? 

Love, Nicky x